TGL has certainly made waves in the world of golf, offering a fresh and exciting format for fans. While the league has garnered plenty of attention for its innovative approach, not everyone is completely on board. Dylan, the host of Drop Zone, voiced his concerns about one particular feature—the Hammer. He felt the way it was introduced lacked the excitement it deserved, calling it “a bit underwhelming.” Dylan suggested that the dramatic impact of the Hammer could be enhanced, perhaps with a more animated approach. He even joked, “We need a real hammer,” thinking it could bring a new level of intensity to the game, both for players and viewers.

It seems TGL heard. They’ve tweaked the rules in hopes of getting teams to use the Hammer more often, especially to give the trailing team a better chance at making a comeback. Starting now, each team will begin with three Hammers, which they can use at any point during a match, but only once per hole. The maximum value a hole can have is three points, which can happen if both teams use a Hammer on the same hole and both are accepted. The rule still stands that a Hammer thrown before a hole begins must be accepted.

This new change kicked off with Monday’s triple-header—the first time TGL hosted more than one match in a day. In previous rules, only the team holding the Hammer could throw it, and it would then transfer to the other team. If a team throws the Hammer and the other team accepts it, the hole’s value doubles to two points. But if the Hammer isn’t accepted, the team that threw it forfeits the hole, and it remains worth just one point. Looks like making the changes paid off. Players loved it.

Sahith Theegala for starters, shared his thoughts, explaining that, from a fan’s perspective. “No, the hammer rule, as a fan, I bet that was really entertaining to know that three holes left, if we had the hammer in possession, it was basically game over. We tie one hole and we win. But yeah, with that hole being worth two points, is definitely more interesting. It’s just awesome that this is such a fluid thing that we’ve got going on, week to week, whatever makes the fan experience better, whatever makes the player experience better, we were able to change that pretty quickly. And I’m going to watch the next couple and see if I have any comments on those. But it’s cool to be a part of that.” he said. TGL relies heavily on fan experience, and it indeed puts its fans first.

Even Ryan Ballinger, owner of Golf News Net, took to his official X account, after the three rounds of TGL concluded on Monday, and wrote, “Today could not have gone any better for TGL. The hammer rule change worked brilliantly. They had a dramatic overtime. The quality of golf was fantastic.” The match between LAGC and Atlanta Drive, which the latter won, saw the league’s second only overtime so far. Shane Bacon, a popular golf author, wrote, “A perfect way to wrap up an extremely entertaining day of TGL. Lots of moments.”

Jason Sobel, a popular golf host and analyst also chimed in, saying, “What a massive win for TGL today. First triple-header. All close matches. More hammers. Feels like a big dose of momentum for the league halfway through its inaugural season.”

Well, Sahith Theegala was not the only player who was deeply impressed by the new hammer rules. Justin Thomas became such a huge fan, that he just could not stop using it.

Justin Thomas compliments the new hammer rule

In a thrilling comeback, Justin Thomas and Atlanta Drive GC triumphed over Los Angeles Golf Club, marking the biggest turnaround in TGL history. A key factor in their win was the newly updated ‘Hammer’ rule, which allowed teams to double points on select holes. Billy Horschel’s clever use of the ‘Blind Hammer’ on hole 13, along with Justin Thomas’s clutch chip-in on hole 15, proved to be crucial moments that sealed the victory for Atlanta.

After the round, Thomas reflected on the impact of the rule changes. When asked how he was spotted using it to his benefit, “I didn’t know it was that obvious,” he joked, referencing his team’s strong use of the Hammer. He continued, “Like Pat said, it changes the whole complexion of the game. Honestly, we lucked out by the hammer rule change, but I think it’s better.”

He highlighted how the new rule leveled the playing field, saying, “You have the opportunity to come back, and in a match that short, it’s tough to get outplayed enough to be as lopsided as some of the early matches were. So you really have a chance on any hole if you feel good about it or execute it well.”

When asked about their position with four holes left in both matches, Thomas acknowledged that while getting both points would’ve been ideal, “to win once was all right.” What do you think about the new rule? Let us know in the comments section below!